


Sunshine and Rainbows

by theauthorandtheartist



Series: Four Swords and Eight Brothers [3]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, But he protecc his Link, Campfire, Canon-Typical Violence, Cold, Cold Weather, Fi and Midna are BFFs, Fluff, Gen, Hero's Shade is also sad, Hurt/Comfort, Legend is a rat man, Linktober, One Word Prompts, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pumpkins, Shadow is a sad boy, Stalfos - Freeform, We Got It All, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:27:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 16,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26761333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthorandtheartist/pseuds/theauthorandtheartist
Summary: Short one-shots that I come up with randomly!Chapters 1-24: Linktober 2020 (I never finished don't judge me)Chapters 25+: who knows!
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe)
Series: Four Swords and Eight Brothers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1938187
Comments: 246
Kudos: 296





	1. Pumpkin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sky is the pumpkin master.

Out of all the heroes of courage, there was no argument over who was the best cook. The Hero of the Wild was easily the most competent in the kitchen, with the others' skills ranging from okay to instant death. Thus, it surprised everyone when  _ Sky _ , of all people, asked to help Wild make dinner. 

"Um, are you sure?" Wild looked up from the pots and pans he'd been pulling from his slate. Most of the others were out gathering firewood, leaving Wild and Sky alone with only Four for company (but he was reading, so he didn't count). 

Sky nodded, hoisting a hand-crafted, giant, wooden spoon over his shoulder. "Completely. I want to surprise Zelda when I get back."

"Oookay then." Wild tapped his slate once more. "Any requests?" 

The Chosen Hero paused for a moment. "...Can we do pumpkin soup?" 

Nodding, Wild pulled up the recipe, three jars of ingredients appearing from thin air. "Sure. I have everything in my slate except for the pumpkin, but I saw a patch of them over the hill earlier. Could you grab a few?" 

"Yup." 

Wild turned back to his task, pulling spices and seasonings out of the slate in bulk. He didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually he was snapped out of his focus by the sound of Four's book hitting the floor. 

"Hey Wild!" Sky called from behind him, out of sight. "I didn't know how many you wanted, so I grabbed all of them." 

Wild turned, and promptly followed Four's example, dropping his bottle of ground pepper and staring with wide eyes. "Wh- how many even  _ is  _ that _?"  _

The Hero of the Skies gently placed his impossibly balanced tower of the biggest pumpkins he could find on the floor next to a tree and wiped the sweat from his brow. He turned to see both Wild and Four staring at him in disbelief and wonder. 

He tilted his head to the side, confused. "Fifteen, why do you ask?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Later, Wind, Wild, Twilight, and Warriors try to beat Sky in a pumpkin tower holding competition. Sky is still undefeated with a record of 27.


	2. Campfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warriors is struggling to take care of an injured and freezing Four while separated from the group, but lucky for him, he has help.

"This i-isn't ideal." Warriors spoke between chattering teeth, soaking wet scarf hanging heavily from his shoulders. 

Four shook his head, hugging himself tightly to try and stave off the shivering and clutching one hand to his bleeding arm. "N-n-nope." 

Their most recent world-switch had separated the group, leaving Warriors and Four stranded in an unknown hyrule in the middle of the worst thunderstorm either of them had ever seen. It had taken several hours and several monster encounters to get to higher ground, and several more to find the cave that they were currently inhabiting, but still the rain showed no sign of letting up. Four had gotten himself injured in one of those fights, a nasty gash running down his arm and bleeding onto the granite.

The cold was vicious, which wasn't good at all, since if Warriors looked closely, he could spot a small bluish tint to his smaller companion's lips. "I would o-offer you my scarf" he smiled, scooting closer to the soaked smithy. "But I don't think it would help very much." 

Four's chuckle turned into a sneeze, and Warriors wrapped his arm around his shoulder. He needed to do something. Soon. At this rate, the tiny hero would freeze by the end of the night. 

With a determined heart, Warriors leaned Four against the wall and stepped away. Wringing out his scarf the best he could, he used the blue fabric to try and towel down Four's sweaty forehead and sopping wet hair. Once he was satisfied with his progress, the scarf was wrapped around Four's injured arm to make up for the lack of bandages or healing items. He could wash it later, once the blood had stopped flowing. 

Now that his shoulders were bare, Warriors remembered just how cold it was in there. His arms shook as he moved towards where they'd discarded their equipment near the mouth of the cave. He needed to make a fire somehow, but doubtless all the wood outside was soaked. No use wasting his time getting some. 

Digging through his bag, his fingers grasped the handle of Legend's fire rod, which he'd been making excuses to not give back for the past few weeks. This would work to  _ start  _ the fire, now he just needed  _ fuel _ . 

Warriors left Four's pack alone, not willing to snoop through his friend's things until he got desperate. Surely, some sticks would have fallen into the cave at some point, right? 

Apparently not. The biggest, driest twigs he found were no bigger than his thumb, and even those had been soaked by the puddles on the floor. 

A knocking noise startled him from his increasingly frantic search, coming from nowhere yet everywhere at once. Warriors grabbed his sword from against the wall and brandished it. Ominous knocking was never a good sign. 

He hoped it wasn't a monster. Four was in no condition to fight, and Warriors could feel his ears and fingers going numb from the cold. If they were attacked right now, they'd be sitting ducks. 

The knock came again, closer this time. Paranoia mounting, his back pressed against the stone as his eyes scanned the cave walls with the perception of a war captain, noticing every crack and every chip in the rock and evaluating whether or not it was noteworthy. 

The third time, it was paired with a strange noise that sounded not unlike a finger snap. The snap repeated, and Warriors finally turned around to look at the worn rock he leaned against. 

He stared at his shadow. 

His shadow stared back. 

The being in the wall (which, he realized, was much too short to actually be  _ his  _ shadow) raised a fist, and rapped it against the rock, creating the very sound he'd been hearing for the past few minutes. It snapped its fingers, and stepped along the wall, 2D form walking effortlessly around the perimeter of the room and stopping above where Four's pack lay slumped. 

It pointed downwards in silent command. 

Eyes narrowed and sword raised, Warriors took a cautious step forwards. This was an unknown shadow being, and while it  _ could  _ be a twili, he rather doubted it. This thing could be anything,  _ do  _ anything, and he was going to be ready for it. Flashes of dark beings from battles long past flitted past his eyelids, but he pushed them away. Now was not the time. 

The shadow crossed its arms, tapping its foot impatiently.  _ Expectant. _

"What are you?" He growled, inching closer to the discarded bag. 

It pointed deeper into the cave, where Four still lay shivering against the stone. 

"Four?" 

It nodded, and pointed downwards once again. 

_ Screw it.  _ Warriors darted forwards, snagging the strap and pulling it back to the middle off the room, away from all the walls. 

The shadow clapped, hopping up and down, and mimed opening the bag. Warriors did so. 

Several items caught his eye: a boomerang,  _ another  _ fire rod, a shortbow and quiver with several colorful arrows, a hammer, a torch (which he pulled out; just in case), and-  _ a bundle of sticks!  _ Dry ones, too! This was  _ just  _ what he needed. 

The sticks were thin, bound together with grass that was woven into a sort of rope, and tied together with a tiny note written in a strange language wedged into the knot. 

The shadow seemed to be celebrating, blowing kisses and bowing every once in a while. Warriors raised an eyebrow, and deemed it not a threat. Nothing that was an enemy would help him, then do _that_ directly afterwards.

The campfire was soon built and ablaze, as Warriors struggled to comprehend how  _ more sticks  _ just  _ manifested themselves out of nowhere _ whenever his pile ran low. A few times he thought he spotted tiny wet footprints on the rock, but they were gone by the time he looked back, so he dismissed them.

Four sneezed from the corner, curling further inwards to try and preserve what meager warmth he still had. The shadow fretted behind the smithy, growing more and more frustrated and worried as time went by. It would reach down to try and help, remember that he  _ couldn't _ , and retract his hand once more. 

Warriors lifted Four from the floor easily, frowning as the smithy leaned into his chest. "S-sorry." Four whispered, squirming weakly and wincing as his arm was jostled. "I c-can walk." 

"No, you can't." He pulled his own, bigger pack across the room near the fire, Four balanced in one arm, and gently leaned the smithy against it as a makeshift pillow. 

A traitorous sigh of delight escaped Four's lips as the warmth of the fire washes over him, and a similar sigh of relief came from Warriors soon after. They were fine. Four was fine. They would get through this. 

He sat down beside the smithy and held his hands out to warm them. A few moments pass in content silence, in which the blue color slowly recedes from Four's lips. "Thanks Wars." He mumbles, leaning his head against his unarmored shoulder. 

"No problem squirt." Warriors smiled, ruffling the smaller hero’s hair. 

The shadow clasps his hands near his cheek and tilted his head in the universal symbol for "aww."

He'd almost forgotten about the shadow, to be honest. "Hey, Four?" He asked, eyes locked onto the being in the wall. 

"Hmm?" 

"Who's in your shadow?" 

"Huh?" Four jerked his head upwards to lock eyes with the shadow, who waved cheerily. "Oh…" He slumped back onto Warriors' shoulder, yawning sleepily. "Tha's just Shadow. He's m'friend." 

"Okay, buddy." Warriors chuckled as Four continued to lose his battle against sleep, his eyelids slipping shut and breathing evening out. "You just get some rest, now. Explanations can come later." 

And sleep Four did, leaned against him long after the rain finally let up. Warriors and Shadow tried conversing as best they could with one side playing sharades, but eventually, the shade grew tired as well and disappeared. This left Warriors alone with the fire, crackling and sparking in the cold night air. 

The next morning, the other heroes of courage would find the two of them sleeping peacefully against each other, arms wrapped around each other in a sleepy, warm, brotherly embrace. 


	3. Warm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild wins hide and seek
> 
> (Apparently I have no consistancy? At all? Last chapter was super long, and this one barely fills half a page)

Wild lounged on the roof of Riju's palace in full gerudo garb, simply enjoying the view. It was winter in the desert, which meant the scorching heat had been toned down to a pleasant warmth, perfect weather for winning hide and seek. 

See, the links had gotten bored in the Zora's Domain, having been snowed inside, and a bored link is a dangerous one. Sidon, wishing to save the integrity of the Zora Palace's foundations, sent them off for a game of hide and seek. 

Of course, Wild had found a loophole. 

The others may have been snowed in, but he wasn't. They hadn't specified where they could and could not hide, either, so while Wind froze his ass off in a cellar and Legend cursed his hiding spot away, Wild had gone on a tropical vacation to the desert. 

He'd teleport back later, as if he'd been there the whole time, but for now, he'd just enjoy the desert sun.


	4. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Legend takes back his title, and Warriors gets a cold surprise.

It was a beautiful day at the campsite, and he was a horrible rat. 

It was mid-autumn in Legend's Hyrule, and they had set up camp along the side of a cliff, which had a nicely orange tree sprouting out of its side to provide shade. Most of the group was sitting around the campfire, listening to Wind tell his sea stories for the fifth time. All of them, in fact, except for Warriors. 

Legend was not ignorant to this. 

The captain had been increasingly insufferable over the past few days, for no apparent reason. His sass had been unmatched, and Legend was completely done with this shit. There was only room in this camp for  _ one  _ snarky bastard, and it sure as hell wasn't Warriors. 

He needed to reclaim his title, preferably by captain-humiliating means. 

While the others remained by the fire, Warriors had retreated against the cliffside, twirling his scarf in his hand and looking directly at Legend like the smug son of a bitch that he was. 

He was  _ boasting. _

Legend smirked. Not for long, he wasn't. 

Making his excuse, the rat man himself retreated into the woods. His bathroom break couldn't last forever, so he'd need to be quick about this. 

Before he left, he took special care to retrieve two specific items from his bag. His ice rod, and Ravio's bracelet. 

It was fall, and the weather was quite chilly.  _ Surely  _ the captain wouldn't notice if it got a few degrees colder. 

Once he was a sufficient distance from the camp, Legend clipped on the bracelet and walked into the cliff. A painting strode across the wall, and slipped into a crack that was conveniently placed directly behind the captain -who was none the wiser. 

The crack widened out into a small cave, and Legend receded from the wall. Pulling out his ice rod, he stuck the tip of it out the entrance and pushed a little magic into the gem. 

The air got noticeably cooler, but a gust of wind blew by at that moment so no one in the campsite questioned it, least of all the captain. 

Legend grinned and cranked up the magic. 

"It's cold outside." Sky shivered, pulling his sailcloth around himself. 

Warriors was actively shivering now, being the closest to the source of the cold. "Y-yeah." 

"Do you want to borrow my pelt?" Twilight asked, concerned. "You look cold." 

"Nah, I'm good." 

Good. No suspicion. Perfect. 

The air continued to get colder and colder, and just for fun, Legend traced frost onto the folds of the captain's scarf. He didn't even notice. 

He was running out of time, though, so he'd need to make this quick. This would take finesse, speed, and a whole lot of luck. 

Sticking the rod further out of the crack, he sent a cascade of freezing air and frost down the back of Warriors' shirt, freezing the scarf, pauldron, and undershirt all in one go. 

And the captain  _ screamed. _

He jumped up, desperately clawing at his back and cursing like Wind on a bad day, and Legend took his cue. 

Bracelet on his arm, the pegasus boots took his painting speeding across the trunks of trees, racing on the surface of rocks, and sending him rolling gracefully back into his previous seat next to Hyrule. The traveler looked at him quizzically, but a quick wink shut him up with a giggle. 

No one (save for Hyrule) noticed his absence, too busy laughing at or trying to help the absolutely  _ hysterical  _ Warriors calm down. 

Sky took the scarf, brushing off the thick coat of frost and hanging it from a tree branch to dry. Twilight helped Warriors unstrap the pauldron, the captain's hands shaking too much to do it by himself. Time took the shirt, leaving Warriors bare chested in the middle of October. 

It took everything in him not to laugh. 

Once Warriors was seated around the fire, wrapped in Sky's sailcloth, and sulking, the captain turned his attention to the rat. "You." He growled, pointing an accusing finger. "You did this. I don't know how, but you did." 

Legend raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I got back here several minutes before you started squealing." 

"Bullshit." 

"Hyrule can vouch for me." 

"I can! He was right here." 

"Bullshit." 

Time set an arm on Warriors' shoulder, a strange twinkle in his eye. "If Legend said he didn't, then he didn't. Let's let it go." 

Warriors grumbled, hiding his head in his hands. "However," Time continued, smirking. "When were you going to tell us that you scream like a frightened keese?" 

The captain groaned as the camp burst into laughter and playful teasing once more. Legend leaned backwards, his job done and title reclaimed. 

Yes, it was a beautiful day at the campsite, and he was a  _ horrible _ rat. 


	5. Companions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midna and Fi have a heart-to-heart conversation.

The war was endless, soldiers from all throughout time thrown in to die for a cause not their own. Citizens from Skyloft, Lorule, the Twilight Realm, and many more; displaced from their homes and made refugees in a foreign land. 

With all of these different individuals, there were bound to be some similarities between a few of them. Midna had just never thought that she would find them with the  _ sword, _ of all people. 

Fi, the spirit of the Master Sword, sat on the roof overlooking the nearly deserted battlefield, a strange, familiar expression on her normally neutral face. They had just made it out of a hard battle, and the healers were still out there counting the dead and tending to the wounded. 

The captain was back discussing battle plans with the princess, the child, and the sailor. Midna couldn't care less. They were Links, sure, but they weren't  _ her  _ Link. They would never be her Link. 

Still, the expression on the sword spirit's face was one that Midna was sadly much acquainted with. Sorrow. 

Sighing heavily, Midna settled her tiny, useless, imp body down next to her. "So? What's up with you?" 

"I do not understand." Was the monotone, only slightly confused reply. Her lips didn't even move. Creepy. 

"I mean, what's wrong? You looked kinda down." Midna shrugged, kicking her legs over the side of the roof. Man, she was bad at this. 

"I cannot see how I can be a direction, but there is a 78% chance there is a different meaning to that phrase." She sighed, purely blue eyes closing. "To answer your question, I am what could be described as...sad. And scared. I do not like it." 

"Why?" 

"At the moment, I am the spirit of the Goddess Sword. I understand you know of me under a different name?" Fi opened her eyes to look at Midna, who adjusted her helm so she could see better. 

"Yeah, the Master Sword. What's that got to do with-" 

"I have asked questions to the captain." Fi's cloth arms wrapped around herself. "Questions about me. It seems that he'd never even heard of me before I appeared from the Goddess Sword, despite having wielded me before." 

"Okay…" Midna could tell where this was going, and she didn't like it. It was too familiar. 

"Where did I go?" Fi's voice was barely a whisper, normally blank voice filled with the most emotion that Midna had ever seen from her. 

Okay, so she was doing this, then. Man, she hadn't comforted anyone since she left Link. She hoped she hadn't gotten rusty. "...Can I tell you a story?" 

"You may, though I am unsure of its relativity to the current conversation." 

"Okay. I'm not the best at this, so bear with me." 

"Bearing." 

Midna took a deep breath. "Long ago, the Twilight Realm was wrought with civil war. Zant, a trusted advisor, was trying to overthrow the monarchy and instill himself as dictator. To stop this, Hylia sent a light dweller named Link. I helped Link on his quest, and he helped me regain my throne, but somewhere along the way I grew attached to the little doggo. I'd like to think he got attatched to me, too." 

She paused, and looked over to find Fi listening patiently, cloak draped over her knees. "But light and shadows were never meant to mix, and after the adventure was complete, he had to return to Hyrule. But I knew he wouldn't stay away if given the choice, so I took that choice away. I shattered the Twilight Mirror, the only bridge between our worlds." 

A dark chuckle escaped her, a single tear falling down her face. "I'll never forget his look of horror." 

Another deep breath. She was fine. "Anyways, the point is, that you and I are pretty similar. And since we are similar, I know that you would never leave without an incredibly good reason to do so. I'm talking, world endingly good reason." 

Setting her tiny hand on Fi's shoulder, Midna flashed a sharp toothed smile. "So don't worry about it for now. Let tomorrow deal with tomorrow's shit. For now," she waved towards the sunset. "Let's just enjoy the view. The twilight is especially beautiful this time of year." 

Fi gazed over the world, bathed in hues of orange and yellow. "Yes, it is." A small smile tugged at her sapphire lips. "You are especially wise, Queen Midna." 

The imp grinned, leaning back on her hair and folding her hands behind her head. "I have my moments." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued on day 16: Battlefield, day 21: Costumes, and day 23: Monsters


	6. Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule was falling

Hyrule fell. Fell from the edge of Skyloft's main island, right off the wooden platform and into the open air. The clouds grew closer, the wind whistling in his ears as his eyes scrunched tightly closed. 

He knew he would be caught, knew Sky wouldn't leave him to die, but  _ still _ . 

He  _ fell. _

__ It was all in good fun, of course, everyone else had fallen and been caught. There was no reason he would be different, but the well of anxiety in his gut churned, and the mounting terror was only barely restrained from coming out in a scream. 

How long had he been falling, now? 

Too long. 

He should've been caught by now. 

Sky should have been here by now. 

He was falling. 

He was  _ falling.  _

A few more, agonizingly long seconds passed before the welcome caw of Sky's crimson bird broke through the wind and strong arms wrapped around his torso. "Sorry it took so long, got caught up with some skytails." 

He took a deep breath. He wasn't falling. Sky had him. He was safe.

He wasn't falling.

"That's fine. Thanks for catching me." 

Sky had him.

"Any time."

He was safe. 


	7. Graveyard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild pays his respects.
> 
> (Aka, bring the tissues.)

Lon Lon Ranch was empty, abandoned after years of disuse and neglect. It's dilapidated farmhouse was barely more than framework, and the fence nothing more than scrapwood. 

It sickened Wild, to see it like this. 

Seeing the once cozy ranch in such a state while it now held such fond memories was heartbreaking. Standing in the demolished used-to-be-kitchen, he could still see his brothers seated happily around the shattered table. Still see Malon and Time bickering good-naturedly at the crushed stovetop. 

It was hard to believe it had been a whole month since their adventure had ended. 

Wild ran a finger over the empty door frame, finger coming back with a layer of dust. Vines and bushes grew from cracks in the walls, small trees between the tiles. The roof had holes in it, parts of it completely caved into the empty rooms. 

He sighed. He'd better get started. This place wasn't going to clean itself. 

It was hard work, cleaning. Not just because of the trees he needed to uproot bare-handed, but also because of the bittersweet memories that threatened to overwhelm him with every item he unearthed. 

Hours later, Wild decided he needed a break. 

He sat on what remained of the back porch, legs dangling off where the railing used to be. A draft of air blew on the back of his legs, coming from beneath the raised platform. 

Where did _that_ come from?

Ever curious, Wild dropped from the porch and bent down to look underneath. Deep within the darkness, a small glimmer caught his eye. 

There was something down there, something he was going to find. 

He got down on his stomach and squeezed inside.

The small space was cramped, and he had to crawl to fit underneath. The mystery item was farther back than he'd anticipated, and by the time he'd reached it, the only light from the outside world was from the small opening where he'd come in. 

It was hard to tell in the dark, but it was hard, smooth, and curved on the top. It was about the size of his head, and he could feel something engraved onto it. 

Without thinking much about it, Wild pulled out the slate, turned on the flashlight, and promptly let out a strangled gasp. 

It was a gravestone. One stone with two names carved onto it. The dates were worn and faded with time, leaving them unreadable, but the names and the description were still legible. 

_Link and Malon_

_… - … … - …_

_All wounds heal with Time._

At the bottom of the stone, there was another message, carved deeper into the stone so that nature dare not weather it. 

_"Three people's a crowd_

_And three strikes are out_

_But multiplied makes a family."_

To anyone else, these creatures wouldn't mean anything, but to Wild, they meant everything.

Fingers brushing gently against the outline of the wolf, Wild burst into tears. 

This house was a graveyard, and he, its keeper. Wild would make sure nothing defiled his brother's resting place. 

Nothing. 

He swore it on his life. 


	8. Redead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I literally had no ideas for this one. Take a drabble. 
> 
> The redead awaits.

Wind and Twilight ran through the dark corridor, away from anything that lurked in the darkness. Spiderwebs caught in their hair, and dust coated their clothing. Neither paid any attention to it. They needed to get out. 

They were lost. 

They were scared.

They were alone. 

Three stalfos had already attacked, leaving various, painful cuts and scrapes all across their bodies. Those were nothing, however, compared to what was behind them. 

The redead awaits.

Wind had caught one inkling of its heavy footsteps and pulled Twilight into a dead sprint. The older hero was confused, unaware of the creature behind them, and Wind hoped to keep it that way. 

His foot caught on a loose tile, sending him sprawling to the floor. His knees leaked blood into the dust, but he couldn’t care less. 

Reaching out, his hand met solid wall. It was a dead end. Panic set in.

The redead awaits.

Twilight was yelling, but he couldn’t hear him, too focused on the being in the darkness. Wind's back pressed against the cold stone wall, breath coming in short, quick bursts. 

Two red eyes stared unblinking from the darkness. 

Twilight drew his sword, but Wind could only sit and stare. It would be no use. Twilight didn't know how to fight this thing. Twilight didn't know what this thing  _ was, _ let alone its fighting style. 

The monster screamed, unholy noise echoing from the wooden mask, and Wind couldn’t move. Twilight couldn’t move. They were frozen in fear and-

The redead awaits. 


	9. Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Lost Woods didn't want him there, but he had to say goodbye. 
> 
> Tw mentions of minor character death, themes of temporary major character death.

Time had never thought he'd be back here. Never thought he'd need to. Never thought he would ever have a reason good enough to return. He still didn't. 

The Lost Woods didn't want him there, yet the music of the kokiri still played for their kin.

The trees, once lush and welcoming, bowed and swayed in just the right way to be disorienting. Mist coated the land in front of him, making him strain his single working eye to see even a few feet ahead. 

Still, he pressed onwards, trusting the music would guide him home.

His old bones ached under the weight of his armor, once a protection, now a hindrance in his old age. How old, exactly, he didn't know. He'd long stopped keeping track after the third time loop in Termina. 

An owl hooted, and the rational part of him screamed to go back, to reconcile with his son and return like nothing happened. That part of him was silenced with a thought. A thought of his love. A thought of Malon. 

Malon...

Malon was dead. 

Her old heart gave out not two weeks ago, and Time could feel his own aching too, but not for health reasons.

His precious son, all grown up and with a wife of his own, took over the ranch after her death. After a falling out that neither was ready nor willing to apologize for, he all but kicked his father out of the house. 

He hadn't even attended his mother's funeral. 

With one member dead and the other one bitter, Time only had one other family to visit. Well, he really had two, but the latter hadn't been born just yet. 

The trees parted, and suddenly the former stood before him, ocarina in her hand. 

"Link." The green-haired Kokiri addressed. 

"Saria." Nodded Time. 

"Why did you come here?" The green-haired girl approached him, and he bent down low. She lovingly brushed a lock of hair from his wrinkled face. "You know what happens to adults who wander."

"I wanted to say goodbye." 

"And after?" 

"I suppose I'll do what everyone does when they wander into these woods." 

Saria hummed, pressing her forehead on his. "So you're ready, then?"

He smiled. "I've been ready for years." 

"Alright." She pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. "Make sure you come to visit. Mido has been insufferable since you left." 

"I will." He smiled, giving a hug to the girl who raised him. "If you don't mind, I have one last favor to ask of you, as well as a gift." 

"Anything." 

Time dug around his pocket for a moment, before bringing out his two most powerful items and handing them both to her. "Please, destroy the mask. It is too powerful to exist. You may keep the ocarina, however. Consider it a gift, from a lost child." 

"Consider it done." She smiled, playing three pure notes on her new ocarina and pocketing the mask. "I will treasure this instrument forever." 

"Good." He rose back to his full height, turning back to the misty trees.

"Link," Saria called, just as he was about to lose sight of the clearing where she stood. 

"Yes?" He answered. 

She ran up to him once more, hugging his leg. "If you have any regrets, please let go of them now. Neither Navi nor Malon nor that wolf you used to travel with would want you to keep them." 

A ghost of a smile danced across his lips. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Saria. I have too many." 

"Please, at least try. For me." She squeezed his leg once more before letting go, running back into the foliage and out of sight before he could respond. 

He sighed, speaking to the open air. "I'll try."

A few minutes of silence passed, just Time, his sword, and the many creatures of the Lost Woods. A couple fairies fluttered past, pale pink wings shimmering in the sunlight. None of them were blue, he noted with a tinge of sadness.

As he finally began moving deeper into the forest, a new, somber song played from the mist on a blue ocarina. 

He heard it and smiled, but ultimately ignored it. He would not follow the music this time. 

That song was a funeral march, not a homecoming tune. Played in remembrance of what once was, and hope for what's to come. 

He wasn't a child anymore, and thus, The Lost Woods didn't want him there any longer. Soon enough, the trees became unfamiliar and the flowers unknown. He let out a hearty sigh as the truth made itself known.

He was lost.

Acceptant of this fact -embracing it, even- Time sat down beneath an old tree. The same one where, long ago, another man more miserable than he sat in silence. A blue cuccoo at his side. 

As he waited patiently, what for, he didn't know, his eyelids grew heavy and eventually fluttered shut. A small, contented smile rested on his lips. He needn't worry about being awoken. 

They say lost Time is gone forever, but he wouldn't be away for long. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued on Day 28: Stalfos


	10. Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow only wanted to be seen.

They say light can't exist without darkness, and Shadow finds this especially true. After all, he would be dead if not for that rule and the beacon of light that he trailed behind. Reduced to nothing but a shade, all he can do during the day is follow in Link's footsteps (literally). 

But at  _ night _ ! 

At night Shadow is free. Free to move in the darkness and affect what he pleases. Free to protect and free to destroy. Free to do everything _ except _ be seen. 

How cruel, that that's the only thing he'd ever wanted. 

Of course, it wasn't all bad. He'd lost count of how many monster camps he'd obliterated during the nighttime hours, slaughtering them all so the heroes wouldn't have to. So  _ Link  _ wouldn't have to. It was the least he could do, after what he'd put them through. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued on Day 13 (or 14, idk): Alone


	11. Ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were ghosts in the heroes' camp.

There were spirits in the heroes' camp. Wind knew because he could see them. 

Oftentimes, these ghosts merely hung around. The old man behind Legend, for example, did nothing else but follow his charge. He would speak occasionally, but Wind had never had a full conversation with him. The legions behind Warriors, as well, had never been seen doing anything other than loom ominously above the captain's shoulder. 

For the most part, however, they provided endless entertainment for the sailor whenever he'd get bored on watch. There was nothing quite like watching the Four-lookalike steal the grumpy rito's scarf and lead him on a wild goose chase through the shadows at three in the morning. 

Sometimes, the blue and red zoras would spar above their bedrolls, as Time's fairy zipped around their shoulders nervously. Other times, the two gorons and the deku scrub would play hide and seek with the gerudo queen. Still other times, all of the spirits would team up, trying to get the strange, stoic Time-lookalike with the weird sword to show any emotion at all. It never worked.

Yes, the heroes' campsite was filled with spirits. But as long as they continued to lend silent support to his brothers, and hug them when they cry, Wind found he didn't mind keeping them around. 


	12. Dungeons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wild is regretting everything.

When the others had described their shrines -dungeons, they called them- as horrible, ghastly places, Wild had laughed. There was no way they could be worse than his shrines, he'd thought ignorantly. 

He wasn't laughing now. 

His third spare sword waved wildly in the air, slicing at the swarm of tiny keese that had mobbed him in the tight corridor. They weren't even  _ electrified,  _ so why was he having such a  _ hard time _ ?

He was separated from the group, hopelessly lost, and in an unknown hyrule. Moreso, he didn't even have any semblance of whose dungeon this was, since he had all but tuned out whenever anyone started to describe them. 

His shrines were nothing like this. 

Why was it so  _ dark? _

Why were there  _ so many monsters? _

These puzzles made  _ no sense? _

Something big and loud and probably undead growled behind him, and he took off in a full sprint. He would get out of there. He  _ had  _ to get out of there eventually.

...Right?


	13. Jumpscare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sky is too soft for his own good sometimes. Legend learns this the hard way.

_...Cluck... _

"What the fuck is that." Legend stood on high alert. 

"Nothing, Leg, go back to bed." Sky grumbled, turning over and covering his face with his arm. 

They had been assigned to share a room for their stay at the inn, which wasn't as fun as it sounded since Sky got grumpy after 9PM. 

... _ Cluck… _

" _ There it is again."  _ He hissed, grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. 

" _ Legend. Go. To. Bed."  _

"Not until I find what that noise is!" 

Sky didn't answer, flopping onto his stomach and pulling his sailcloth tighter with an unhappy groan. 

... _ Cluck… _

The noise continued, as Legend began to search the room. 

... _ Cluck _ …

Nothing in the dresser. 

... _ Cluck… _

Nothing under the beds. 

... _ Cluck Cluck… _

__ Nothing out the window. 

... _ Cluck Cluck Cluck… _

Legend crossed his arms, tapping his foot anxiously. He'd searched the whole room and yet the sound still had no source. 

His eyes drifted to Sky's bag hanging up on the doorknob, before flickering to the sleepy hero. Sky was fast asleep, snoring softly. 

Surely he wouldn't mind a little peek, just to check for that noise.

_...Cluck... _

Gently, the Hero of Legend lifted the flap of fabric that kept the bag closed. 

... **_Cluckcluckcluckcluck!_ **

Cuccoos. Two of them. Nestled between red potion and extra clothes. _Clucking_ _angrily._

Legend slammed the bag shut, firmly holding the squirming birds inside. 

"Sky!" He whimpered, as sharp claws poked through the bag and into his arm. 

"Mhmmm?" 

" _ Why are there cuccoos in your bag?" _

"Huh? Oh." The Chosen Hero yawned, rolling over to his side. "They wanted to come with." 

_ "And you brought them?"  _

"What else was I supposed to do? They're cute!" 

" _ Not bring them? You could do that!"  _

"Nah." 

" _ At least help me get rid of them!" _

"Nah." 

Legend screamed as the cuccoos broke a hole  _ through  _ the leather bag. "Sky!"

**_Cluckcluckcluckcluck-_ **


	14. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow just wanted to be seen, but he'd never expected it to actually happen. 
> 
> (Continuation of day 10: Dark)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be short, then it just KEPT GOING.

They say light can't exist without darkness, and Shadow finds this especially true. He sees it in Link's ever-changing, ever-sorrowful eyes, and in the other heroes' haunted looks. He spotted it whenever the youngest wakes up screaming, or the eldest rubs at his eye. All of the heroes have certain traces of darkness, and Shadow had gotten used to the ambient magic in the air. 

Some, however, had more than others. 

The wolf, the one called Twilight, absolutely _reeked_ of shadow magic. In both forms, the stuff followed him like an aura, drawing Shadow in like a vacuum. Tempting him. 

Tempting him to what, exactly, he didn't know. 

What he _did_ know, was that he could _not_ give in. He'd been beside Link when they'd all had that awkward conversation about what the others called their "darks," and he was not keen on possibly getting a sword through his throat. 

It was unlikely, but possible. Most people (including Link, sadly) couldn't see him in the slightest, but with these heroes, he wouldn't rule anything out. 

...Still...The magic called him…

Surely a _little bit_ wouldn't hurt...

Red eyes opened in the dark of night, ready to do as he did every night: watch, wait, and protect as necessary. No one would know he was there. They never did. 

And if it was the wolf's turn on watch, then that was mere coincidence. 

No one spotted him moving. He made no noise, and you'd be hard pressed to notice a single shadow in the dark of night. 

The rancher faced away from him, sword resting on his lap. He looked...sad? Fond? Focused? Melancholy. That's what it was. His face held an air of melancholy as he looked down at his shadow, which flickered in the dying campfire light. 

For some reason, Shadow felt he was missing something. 

A lone tear fell down Twilight's face as he whispered softly, almost too quiet for him to hear. "Why did you leave me alone?" 

Yeah, _definitely_ missing something. Though, he couldn't say he didn't relate. 

From what it sounded like, Twilight was missing someone. Badly.

That made two of them. 

Ever since he'd "died," Shadow had been alone. Not physically, but still. Link couldn't see him, hear him, or even know he was there, so it was as if he wasn't around at all. Even together, Shadow had never felt so alone. 

That settled it. Even if Twilight didn't know he existed, Shadow would be there with him. Just so neither of them would be alone. 

And if he managed to absorb some of that magic while he was over there, then that was just a bonus. 

He came closer, two-dimensional form creeping over the fallen foliage to where the rancher sat. 

Dark magic pulsed from somewhere around the hero's neck. 

Twilight sighed and looked up at the night sky. 

Shadow faded into his shadow, making it his own. 

Both their reactions were immediate. Shadow let out a gasp as dark magic unlike anything he'd ever experienced flowed through his metaphorical veins, while Twilight's face snapped towards him, his expression looking like he was trying to decide between happy or extremely angry. 

Shadow froze. The darkness was overwhelmingly strong now that he was _in_ it, but it wasn't worth the possible wrath of the wolf boy. Why couldn't it have been _Link_ with the magic shadow. 

Oh wait. 

"Midna?" Twilight asked, hopeful voice barely a whisper. "Is that you?" 

Shadow, feeling incredibly guilty, didn't respond. Twilight couldn’t see him, it was fine. Twilight couldn’t see him, it was fine. Twilight couldn’t- 

You know, for someone who desperately wanted to be seen, Shadow was surprised at how much comfort that statement gave him. 

A beat passed where nothing happened. Twilight's gaze stayed glued to his hiding spot, Shadow stayed frozen, and the others stayed asleep. Once the moment passed, the rancher's eyes narrowed, lips turning up into a snarl and -holy shit were those _fangs?_

"You're not Midna." 

Shitshitshitshitshitshi-

Twilight plunged his sword into the dirt, a righteous fire in his eyes, giving Shadow no choice but to flee his magically charged shadow and into the darkness. He hid in the shade behind Link, pressed up against a tree and trying his very best to blend in. 

A growl cut through the night. 

Red eyes met piercing blue. 

The blue eyed beast stalked forwards, hackles raised, and Shadow was struck with the realization that _the wolf could see him._

Taking advantage of his momentary crisis, the wolf snarled, stepping carefully towards him. 

_Towards Link._

Deep down, Shadow knew that this wolf would never hurt Link -it was Twilight, after all- but even deeper down lay a seed of doubt, a primal instinct that drove him to protect his lighter half _._ It screamed to save Link from any and all danger, and this beast was _dangerous._

The wolf growled. 

Shadow growled back. 

Slitted, crimson eyes glowed bright in the darkness as his newfound energy manifested. The shadows obeyed his every command, swirling around his hands and sharpening his fingers into sharp, dagger-like, midnight black claws. More darkness coiled at his feet, and still more coated Link like a protective blanket. 

The wolf's eyes widened, but it didn't back down. It took a step forwards, teeth barred. 

Shadow hissed, barring his own fangs and stepping in front of Link. 

Movement caught his eye from behind his adversary, rustling through the trees. A single lizalfos entered the camp, looking around hungrily. 

The wolf didn't see it. 

Shadow did. 

Twilight lunged forwards, teeth glinting in the firelight, and Shadow chose the greater threat. He snarled and ducked underneath the dog, pouncing on the lizalfos and sinking his claws into its throat. The monster screeched, swinging its sword wildly at the invisible entity and the darkness it commanded. 

Spears of shade erupted from the dark, impaling the lizards back. Shadow grinned as his talons ripped scale and sinew to shreds. The monster fell limply to the ground, left as little more than a pile of meat. 

Something heavy knocked him to the ground, and Shadow looked up to spot Twilight pinning him to the ground, a curious look in his eyes. 

Groans sounded from the other bedrolls, as the heroes began to stir. The Lizalfos had screeched louder than Shadow had anticipated. 

"Ugh, Warriors groaned, detangling his scarf from around his arms. "What is that _smell?"_

"That." Hyrule scrunched his nose, bending down to examine the pile of lizalfos. "Any idea what it is?" 

Wild picked up a bit of intestine, sniffed it, and shoved the whole pile into his slate. "Definitely Lizalfos guts. They smell like swamp water." 

"Do I wanna know how you know that?" 

"Probably not."

"What's there, Wolfie?" The sailor asked, approaching the oversized mutt with caution. Said mutt let out a confused whine, shaking fur into Shadow's face. 

For a moment, he was confused, then he remembered that _oh yeah, they still couldn't see him._

"Uuuh Four?" Hyrule pointed at the groggy smithy, his face pale. The shadows were still wrapped around him, keeping him separate from the outside world. "Is that normal?" 

"Huh?" Link blinked his violet eyes, suddenly awake, just in time to see the last remnants of darkness recede. "Uuuh...No? It used to be, but that was before Sha-" He stopped himself. "Nevermind." 

_Smooth, Vio, smooth._ Shadow smirked, chuckling a little bit from under Wolfie's paw. 

"Four, usually I'd let this go, but you literally woke up covered head to toe in dark magic. You're not getting out of this without an explanation." Legend raised an eyebrow, his small, fluffy haired friend hiding behind him. 

"Oh you done messed up bunny boy." He laughed, fully aware of the lack of listeners. The wolf gave him a strange look, then barked once in affirmation. Link squirmed uncomfortably as the others leaned closer.

By now, everyone was awake. Well, everyone except for the Chosen Hero, who still snoozed on his bedroll. 

Purple eyes flashed blue in annoyance, and Link took a deep breath to calm himself. "It was before Shadow died." He spoke coldly, and all prior conversation ceased. 

Legend paled. "Oh. Uh, I'm sorry." 

"Don't be." Vio stated, ice still lacing his voice. "You didn't know. Shadow was a friend of mine who specialized in dark and shadow magic. He used to wrap me in the shade in order to protect me when I was hurt or defenceless." 

The wolf glanced down at him curiously, and Shadow grinned, flashing a thumbs up. 

"Do you think it could be Shadow, then?" Wind asked nervously, wringing his hands and glancing at the spot where -to him- Wolfie stood atop nothing but air. 

Link shook his head, eyes green. "No, Shadow died years ago in order to kill Vaati. If he was alive, he would have shown up by now." 

He'd tried. He'd tried so hard, but all his attempts only left him alone and miserable in the shadow of the one he tried to alert. 

So he'd stopped trying. It didn't make a difference, anyways. 

A cold nose and a wet tongue to his cheek snapped him out of his increasingly depressive train of thought, and he looked up to see Twilight staring at him in- was that concern? 

The wolf licked him again, and only then did he realize that he was crying. 

"Wolfie? Is there something there?" The old man asked, setting a hand on Twilight's flank. The wolf nodded, bending down and licking away whatever leftover tears were still on his face. Shadow would have swatted him away, had his arms not been pinned underneath several hundred pounds of animal. 

Time frowned. "Warriors, please hand me my bag." 

The captain did so, and Time spent a few moments rummaging around only to pull out a strange, spiky magnifying glass. Shadow could tell from here that that thing was magical, _incredibly so_ , and he was not keen on figuring out what it did. For all he knew, he could be fried like an ant. 

So he did all he could do. He squirmed. 

Wolfie bopped him on the head. 

He was thankfully _not_ fried like an ant, but he couldn’t figure out whether this new development was worse or not. As Time held the glass up to his eye, a cold feeling washed over Shadow. The man's eye narrowed as he drew his ginormous sword. _Shit._

Thankfully, the Wolf came to his rescue. He growled at his mentor, flopping down on top of Shadow and completely burying him in fur. Time retreated, surprised, and lowered the glass. "Wolfie, what are you doing?" 

A growl emerged from the belly of the beast, feeling _incredibly weird_ as his neck pressed against Shadow's face. Not for the first time, he cursed Link's incredible smallness. 

"What is it?" The champion asked, snatching the glass away and holding it to his eye. In the background, Hyrule handed Link a waterskin and he began to drink.

At that moment, Shadow managed to dislodge his face -and only his face- from underneath Twilight's bulk, gasping for air. Wild seemed confused. "Well what do you know! He looks kinda like you, Four!" 

Link choked. Water sprayed across the campsite, drenching Legend from head to toe. Warriors burst out into laughter as the veteran spluttered and Link coughed. 

Shadow sighed. This wasn't going as he would've liked. He'd daydreamed for hours about what their (hopefully) eventual reunion would look like, and it was _nothing_ like this. 

Link held out his hand, still coughing, and Wild tossed him the glass. Time leveled him with a glare, which the champion pointedly ignored. 

The glass was held up to a red eye, and fell to the floor as purple ones blinked. Link sat frozen, staring blankly at the empty space where Shadow lay invisibly. His eyes cycled through colors just as fast as his face cycled through emotions, which would have been super funny under different circumstances. Not now, though. Now was different. 

"...Shadow?" Link whispered, tearful eyes switching from red to purple to red again. He snatched the lens from the floor and held it up once again. Wolfie moved from atop him, tugging Time off to the side, and Shadow waved. Everyone else looked on in anticipation. 

Now, Shadow had a different problem. Link might be able to see him now (he still could barely believe it) but he couldn't _hear_ him at all. They would need a better way to communicate. 

A recent memory came to mind, where Zelda was trying to teach Link this new, silent, hand language that Shadow still didn't completely understand. Maybe if he could just…

He brought his hands up, and pointed two fingers to the right. That was an "H", right? After some more fumbling, he raised his pinkie in what he thought and hoped was an "I". 

A few seconds passed, and Link repeated the action. Success! 

"Come on Four! I wanna see your friend!" Wind bounced, laughing as his shell-shocked friend handed the lens over. "Oh! He really _does_ look like you." 

The lens was passed from person to person, and by the end of it, Shadow had started to feel like a circus attraction. Each hero had a different reaction, from curiosity (Wild and Wind) to wariness (Hyrule and Legend) to outright hostility (Warriors). 

Shadow had to retreat into his place behind Link to avoid getting skewered by an angry captain, and thus, saw the exact moment that Link's eyes went blue. 

"Get that out of my face." He slapped the sword away, voice growling angrily. "He's not gonna hurt anyone." 

"But he's a _dark."_ Was Warriors' defence. 

"And if Vi- if I'm right, then he's been here the whole time and he hasn't done anything against us." When the captain didn't lower the blade nor the glass, Link drew his own sword and sent his weapon flying before sheathing it again. "In fact, he's probably helped us on multiple occasions. Remember that monster camp in Wild's Hyrule? The one we found mysteriously abandoned?" 

Wolfie returned, tugging Time back to camp. He padded over to Link's side, carefully walked around him, and sat facing Shadow with his tongue lolling out. 

"What?" He tilted his head as Link continued to make his case to the thoroughly bamboozled Warriors. "What do you want?" 

He barked, and tilted his nose up at the sky, which was steadily getting lighter by the second. It was morning, time for Shadow to retreat back to the shade. "Ah. You're right. Can you, like, get him the glass? I kinda wanna tell him where I'm going before I disappear for the day." 

Twilight nodded, standing and stretching before nabbing the lens straight from Warriors' hand. Ignoring his shouts of protest, Wolfie dropped the item into Link's hand nudging him towards Shadow. 

Link, confused, put the lens to his green eye. Shadow waved again, and he waved back. 

Now, how to go about this…

He pointed upwards at the sun, then at Link's shadow. Short, sweet, and to the point. 

Green didn't seem to get it, and red eyes blinked. 

Okay then...He mimicked a ticking clock, _then_ pointed upwards, _then_ pointed at the shadow. 

Red frowned, and blue eyes narrowed.

This was not working, and Wolfie had begun to laugh. Blushing, Shadow waved his arms, pointed up, made a clock, _then_ pointed down. 

Nothing. Violet eyes gazed curiously at him, framed by raised eyebrows. 

Finally, with what was hopefully the last, over-exaggerated sequence of gestures, Shadow got his point across at last. Vio nodded, smirking, just as the sun broke the tops of the treeline. 

With a sigh, Shadow let himself fade back into his namesake, mimicking Link's movements as only he could. Link went on to explain things to the other heroes, and Twilight threw quite a few glances at where Shadow lay dormant. 

Still, even if he couldn't do much during the day, he had never felt so calm. So content. So _seen._

Shadow wasn't alone anymore, and he couldn't be happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued on Day 17: Injured


	15. Hunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule had always known what it was like to be hunted.

Hyrule had always known what it was like to be hunted. To check twice around every corner and hope no one sniped you from above. To run, to hide, to do  _ anything _ to avoid being seen, chased, or -goddess forbid-  _ caught. _ When your blood has the power to resurrect the god of evil, you get used to the fact that others want you dead. Once, he was terrified, but after years and years of the same thing, It didn't bother him much anymore.

That doesn't mean it doesn't bother other people, though. Hyrule forgot that sometimes.

" _ What  _ did you say those weird keese were again?" Legend asked, as he wound a bandage tightly around Hyrule's bicep. He had  _ tried  _ to convince the veteran to let him heal it himself, but Legend was as stubborn as a goat and twice as clever. Hyrule had barely gotten three words out before his entire argument had been debunked. 

"Aches. Eyes of Ganon. They don't like me." 

"And the scorpions?" 

"Aruroda. They also don't like me." 

"And the goddamn  _ screaming amphibians _ ?" 

"Those were Zora." 

" _ Those  _ were  _ Zora?"  _

"Yup." 

"And let me guess, they don't like you either?" 

"Let's just assume that everything in this world doesn't like me." 

Legend paused in his questions, leaving Hyrule some time to think. The traveler's eyes widened as he came to an absolutely stunning conclusion. "Or maybe...huh, maybe the problem is that they like me  _ too _ much." 

Legend sighed. "What does  _ that  _ mean." 

"They want my blood to revive Ganon." He stated as if he was discussing the weather. 

The bandaging on his torso came to an abrupt halt. "They want what to do what now?" 

"They want my blood to pour on Ganon's ashes to resurrect him. They're hunting me for it." He shrugged, then hissed as the slash on his arm pulsed with pain. "It's not that big a deal." 

" _ Not that big a- _ Hyrule." Legend spun him around, staring him directly in the eyes. "That is  _ not okay. _ Where are these ashes, I need to borrow Wild's explosive stash." 

"Uh…I don't know exactly. Last time I accidentally found them I was super lost." 

"Hylia help me." 


	16. Battlefield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midna and Fi have a girl's night out.

"Mind if I lend a hand?" Midna grinned, the red hand made of her hair slamming a ball of dark energy into the ground and decimating seven of the dozens of monsters that had ambushed them. 

"I do not mind in the slightest." Her stoic, blue companion danced around the enemy swords, her own blade slicing through them like a flaming axe through butter. "With your help, there is a 89% chance of success." 

"Only 89%?" Midna scoffed, impaling a lizalfos with his own broadsword. "I'd think it would at  _ least  _ be ninety-five." 

Fi caught a bokoblin in a roundhouse kick, smashing his skull in with her dainty dancing shoes. "It would have been 95%, but Master Link ran after the dragon knight." 

Midna rolled her eyes, throwing a bokoblin's corpse over her shoulder. "Of course he did. Why  _ wouldn't  _ he?" 

"I too, am struck with what might be known as 'annoyance' at his methods." Fi scoffed, her cape slapping a bublin across the snout. 

"Tsk." Midna hissed. " _ My  _ Link would never do something like  _ that. _ " She flipped her hair, standing triumphant over a mountain of dead monsters. 

Fi landed lightly beside her. "I do hope my future Master is more...competent." 

"I'm sure he will be. Up top!" The Twilight Princess raised her tiny imp arm, waiting. 

Fi merely tilted her head. 

"Oh, uh…" Midna rubbed the back of her head, accidentally wiping the blood from her palm into her ponytail. "You're supposed to hit my hand with yours, like, a way to congratulate the team effort." 

She took Fi's cape in one hand, and held up the other. "See? Like this." She gently smacked the two appendages together. "That's called a 'high five'." 

"And this  _ high five  _ action is a way to share victories with teammates?" Fi asked, eyes slightly narrowed in concentration. 

"Well, usually you do it with friends, but yeah!" 

"Very well then." A strip of a blue cape was held upwards, as equally azure lips softly smiled. "Up top, friend Midna." 

Midna smacked it, grinning widely. "Up top, friend Fi." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued on day 21: Costumes


	17. Injured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow has an instinct. An instinct to protect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for blood, injury, and graphic description of violence

"Shitshitshitshit-  _ what do I do!"  _ Shadow hissed to himself, panicked. 

The group had been ambushed, split apart into groups of two and ruthlessly attacked. Link -and by extension, Shadow- had been dragged west with Twilight by a hoard of what the older hero called "shadow beasts." 

Shadow took offence at this. There was only room here for  _ one  _ shadow beast, and it sure as hell wasn't them. 

Sadly, it was still daytime. Shadow would've liked to show them what a  _ real  _ shadow beast was made of. 

The tentacle-framed shields with lanky arms were surprisingly fast, chasing Link and Twilight far from the group and into the thick woods. There were  _ easily _ two dozen of them, screeching and hissing with no mouths to speak of. 

Twilight was the first to fall victim, as one of the beasts pounced and caught him on the ankle. Shifting to wolf form instantly at their touch, he tumbled to the ground, a heap of fur and flailing limbs.

"Twi!" Link paused to grab Wolfie by his front paw and quickly realized his mistake. He couldn't run like this, and the beasts were already upon him. 

Twilight scrambled to his shaky legs, limping slightly, and both of them did their best to climb up the tallest maple tree they could find. 

They didn't make it to the top. The beasts tore them from the branches' safety to fall into the hoard below. The setting sun cast the world in shades of red as liquid of the same color smeared across the grass. Shadow turned his eyes upwards. 

Link screamed from beneath a mountain of screeching shields, and Shadow winced, but his eyes never strayed from the scarlet sun. He was so close... 

A wolf howled, a mixture of fear and pure agony in its desperate voice, and Shadow's eyes narrowed. Just a little bit more…

Link gave one last strangled scream as the sun  _ finally  _ ducked below the treeline, and the waiting darkness exploded. 

The sorry excuses for shadow beasts were flung away from Link's prone form by tendrils of vantablack, where -invisible to most- a new figure floated above the grass. Darkness coiled around clawed fingertips as blood red eyes glinted in anger. "Sorry I'm late," Shadow growled to the bloody dog who limped towards him. "Can you change back?" 

A shake of the head and a whine answered him, as Wolfie curled protectively around Link's unconscious body. Shadow averted his eyes. Now was not the time to worry. 

The beasts began to appear again, stalking out from the cover of the trees. Shadow snarled. That instinct was back, the one that told him to protect Link at all costs, and  _ utterly destroy all who dare endanger him _ . Shadow gladly let it take over.

With a roar, he flung himself into battle. Shields were torn from shrieking faces and limbs thrown like garbage to the side. Claws ripped at any and all exposed flesh, whether it be from the monsters or from Shadow himself made no difference. Spears of night impaled beast after beast, their corpses hung like scarecrows around their bloody battlefield. Shade ropes lashed out from the trees, hoisting up monsters by their thin, bony necks and leaving their bodies dangling from the branches. 

Shadow didn't make it out unscathed either, the beasts' twilit claws ripping through his intangibility and giving him several nasty scrapes and gashes. A thin line of silver blood ran from his forehead into his eye, pulsing with a foreign magic that he was trying his best to repel. 

He wanted nothing to do with this strange source of energy, as he could already tell that its only purpose was to  _ change. _ After seeing what it did to Twilight, Shadow wasn't sure he wanted to see what it would change  _ him _ into. 

Mere minutes after the sun had set, Shadow stood alone amongst a sea of cadavers. 

He wiped the blood from his cheek, turning on a dime and running back to where Twilight stood in awe. He fell to his knees in front of Link and tore open his already tattered tunic. Both Shadow and Twilight visibly winced. 

Huge gashes criss-crossed over the front of his torso, leaking crimson liquid onto the dirt. His face hadn't fared much better. The left side of his hair had been almost completely sheared off, and when Shadow ran his hands through it, they came back red. In several places, bits of white peeked through the sea of scarlet, and he had to hold back a gag. 

The unknown magic was back. Shadow could sense it flowing through Link's veins, fighting with the magic of the Four Sword for dominance. For his sake, Shadow hoped the sword would win. 

"Shit." He hissed, coating his incorporeal arms in shadows to pick up Link's tunic. "Twilight, can you run?" He asked, ripping what was left of it into strips. "I'm no healer, but this looks bad." 

Wolfie tried his leg, then yelped and shook his shout. Sighting, Shadow parted with one of his precious few bandages to make a splint for the poor dog. "How's that?" 

It was awkward, but it worked. Wolfie ran off into the woods, howling at the top of his lungs. 

Shadow turned his attention back towards Link, propping him up and wrapping the cloth tightly around his chest. More bandages found their way to his face, where there was  _ no way  _ Link wouldn't end up with a few new scars. He was  _ so lucky  _ that the claws hadn't gotten to his eyes before Shadow had awoken. 

Link's entire tunic became bandages, and his pants quickly became shorts once he ran out of shirt. The cloth on his torso was already soaked through, and Shadow was beginning to get worried. How much blood loss was  _ too  _ much blood loss? He didn't know, he'd never had to worry about that before.

Fingers ran through uneven, gold locks as Shadow tried to figure out what to do now. He'd already wrapped most everything up, so what more was there to do? 

Well, he  _ could _ take care of what was left of Link's hair. Make it look intentional, at least. 

A thin blade formed from the blackness, and Shadow got to work. Carefully. Very,  _ very  _ carefully. 

By the time Wolfie returned, barking madly and with Hyrule and Warriors in tow, Shadow had given Link what he thought was a pretty good undercut, if he did say so himself. In the shaving process, he'd uncovered another head wound that he'd used the last of his bandages to cover up. 

Hyrule, upon seeing Link, rushed to his side with a gasp, falling to his knees with glowing yellow hands. Warriors surveyed the battlefield and whistled. "You didn't do this, did you, Wolfie?" 

Twilight barked and shook his head, limping over to Shadow and sitting beside him. 

"...Was it the Dark?" 

Wolfie growled. 

Hyrule moved his hands from Link's torso to his head. "His name is Shadow, Warriors. He's not a Dark. I've fought Darks before, and he is definitely not one of them." 

Shadow liked Hyrule. He was nice. 

Warriors could use a little attitude check, if you asked him. What did he ever do to him? Nothing. That's what.

"Yeah, yeah. Back to my question. This was him?" Warriors waved his hand dismissively, and Shadow wondered how many fingers he could break before his hand would be useless. Two, he reckoned, maybe three. One if it was the thumb. 

Wolfie nodded, whimpering when he accidentally put weight on his injured leg. Hyrule looked up from where he was healing Link's head-wound. "You need help, Wolfie? I got a red potion if you want." 

As Twilight greedily lapped up his potion, Hyrule stepped back from Link. "Okay, I've done all I can. He'll live, but be unconscious for a while. I got here just in time." He stretched, uncorking a green potion. "Wars, could you carry him back?" 

The captain complied, and Shadow begrudgingly followed them back to where the others were recuperating. As Wolfie dragged Sky and the Master Sword into the woods, probably to change back after the Shadow Beast attack, Shadow sat next to where they'd laid Link for the night. No one brought out the special lens, so Shadow remained unseen as they packed up for the night. 

Not that he minded, that battle back there had spent more energy than he'd used in a  _ long  _ while, and it was finally taking its toll. Long before sunrise, Shadow melded back into the darkness and fell asleep. He would check up on Link tomorrow, hopefully when he's  _ not  _ badly injured. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued on day 22: Candies


	18. Watched

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mask knew the feeling of being watched.

If there was one thing Mask knew, it was the feeling of being watched. Spiders watched him from above, Dead Hands from below. Kokiri and fairies watched from the woods, with the occasional Deku Scrub or Skull Kid if he was feeling particularly unlucky. On one occasion, even the _moon itself_ decided to watch him, and become the subject of all his nightmares from then on. Yes, Mask knew what it was like to be watched, and since he joined this group of heroes, the feeling was constant. 

Sky and Twilight watched with pity, and a little twinge of guilt. 

Hyrule and Wind watched with happiness, glad to finally not be the youngest of the group. Mask resented that. 

Wild watched with a mischievous glint that could only come from a future partner in crime. 

Four watched with hidden curiosity masked with amusement. 

The captain watched in worry. 

Time watched with this strange expression he couldn't figure out, and seemed to love tormenting him with crypric answers. 

Sometimes, Legend looked at him with something akin to _anger._

In all honesty, he was tired of being watched. 

Everyone was always watching for a _reason_. 

Townspeople watched in order to judge, while monsters watched to kill, skull kids watched to trick and deceive, and heroes watched to protect. 

That last one was the one he liked least. Heroes watched to protect those who couldn't protect themselves, and somehow Mask was _always_ sorted into that category no matter _what_ he did. 

Mask knew the feeling of being watched, but just once he'd like to be the one watching. 


	19. Vast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wind and Wild make a bet.

Wind stood atop the Great Plateau, feet dangling over the edge above the trees far below. This was the third time in three weeks that they'd been dropped back in Wild's Hyrule, and while Wind was happy for him, he really wished that Hylia would drop them back into the Great Sea for once. 

He hadn't seen Aryll, Grandma, or even Tetra since he'd left on this adventure. He didn't even get to say goodbye. 

Sighing, Wind chucked a rock over the edge, counting to see how far it fell. 

One, barracuda. 

Two, barracuda.

Three, barracuda. 

Four, barracuda. 

Five, barracuda. 

_ Plink!  _

Only five? The drop seemed farther than that. 

He picked up another rock, this one smaller than the other, and turned it over in his fingers absentmindedly. 

Wild's hyrule was  _ big,  _ that was for certain. Trees and grasslands stretched as far as the eye could see, broken only by the mountains in the far distance. Yes, Wild's hyrule was big, but he wouldn't call it  _ vast. _

That word was reserved only for rolling waves and salty air, going on and on forever unless you ran aground on one of the many tiny islands. The ocean was flat, wide, and  _ vast _ in a way that Wild's hyrule wasn't, and it would always be his home. 

A slip of the finger, and the tiny stone tumbled off the edge. 

One, barracuda. 

Two, barracuda.

Three, barracuda. 

Four, barracuda. 

Five, barracuda. 

Six, barracuda.

Seven, barracuda. 

Eight, barra-  _ Plink! _

That was more like it. 

Grass shifted off to his side as Wild himself settled down next to him. "What'cha doin'?" 

A smirk played on Wind's lips, as he chucked another rock off the edge without bothering to count. "Oh, just thinking about how much  _ bigger  _ my Hyrule is than yours." 

Wild gasped, feigning horror. "How dare you! I'll have you know that more people have complained about my Hyrule than any of the others!" 

"You haven't even been to mine yet!" 

"Keyword:  _ Yet!"  _

"You've never even  _ been  _ to sea! You landlubber!" 

"No, but when I do I'll cross it three times faster than I cross the land!" 

This was gonna be  _ good.  _ "Oh? You wanna bet?" 

"You know what? Yeah! Sailing is just standing for a long time, anyways." 

"Sure it is." 

Laughing, the both of them returned to camp jovially, teasing each other all the while. Wind knew Wild didn't believe him, but that was okay. He would come around. Eventually.

When, six weeks later after almost four whole days of sailing the open sea with no land in sight, Wild approached Wind with a hearty apology and a bowl of seafood soup, the little sailor laughed quietly to himself. Wild's hyrule was big, sure, but it would never be as vast as the Great Sea. 


	20. Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyrule shows Legend there's life in the dust.

When Hyrule found Legend, sitting beneath a decaying tree looking out over the barren wasteland that was Hyrule's home, he'd been worried. Not because he looked sad (Legend had long perfected the mask of indifference), nor because he was a little ways from where everyone else was sleeping, not even because he was awake at an ungodly hour without it being his watch. No, he was worried because Legend was  _ quiet. _

Legend was never quiet. He was always snarking with Warriors, or complaining about something or other to someone, and if no one was around, he would play a sad little song on his precious ocarina to chase away the silence. A quiet Legend meant something was  _ wrong  _ with the world, and Hyrule was not willing to let his childhood hero sulk by himself. 

So, naturally, he went to sulk with him. What about? No idea. But Legend usually didn't want to talk about such things, and Hyrule wasn't one to pry. 

That didn't mean he didn't  _ want  _ to. He wanted nothing more than to figure out what was wrong and fix it, but he doubted Legend would appreciate him doing that. Or would he? It was hard to tell. 

"Are you okay?" Hyrule asked, leaning back against the blackened bark. Dust blew across the ground, carried by the strong winds that were common for this region. 

Legend grunted. "Just peachy." 

"I don't believe that." Hyrule sighed, rubbing his hands together to stave off the chill of the breeze. "You wanna talk about it?" 

"No."

"Okay." 

They sat together, two brothers in a demolished world, just being. Legend gave no inclination of speaking, so Hyrule let him have his silence, no matter how worrying it might be.

"Just..." Legend sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "How do you stand to live here?" He waved his hands out to the sparse pseudo-desert. "With all  _ this?" _

"With all what?" He asked, confused. There was nothing there.

" _ Exactly."  _

"Oh. Uh, I just got used to it, I guess." Hyrule shrugged. "Besides, it's not  _ all  _ gone, look." He pushed a layer of dust off of the tree and into a pile on the side, revealing the tiniest little sprout growing from the root. Only one little leaf crowned it's head, swaying gently in the breeze. "With any luck, this plant should be immune to the poison in the dirt, and should grow up into a mighty tree." 

He set a hand on Legend's shoulder when the hero didn't respond. "Life isn't gone, here, it's just taking a while to adapt. That's what we're all doing, adapting and overcoming." 

Legend chuckled, brushing a gentle finger over the sprout's tiny leaf. "Since when did you get so philosophical, 'Rule?" 

He shrugged, grinning. "I have my moments. You wanna go give Twi a heart attack?" 

_ "Do I!"  _


	21. Costumes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fi and Midna have their first Hallow's Eve party.

Midna strode down one of the castle's many hallways, the pad of her bare feet on the tiled floor announcing her presence. She had just recently been restored to her original, beautiful twili form, and she could not be happier. 

She wanted to find Fi, so she could share the news, but the sword spirit was making herself scarce at the moment. She'd been looking for nearly an hour now, and was _this close_ to enlisting someone for help. She didn't though, she was the goddamn Twilight Princess and she could do this on her own. 

A door opened down the hall, and a little blonde head poked out of it, braids dangling. Linkle looked side to side, confused, then spotted Midna and her eyes lit up. "Middy!" 

"That's _Princess_ Middy to you, squirt." Midna grinned as the much shorter hylian bounded over, her trusty compass in hand. 

"Oh, sorry Princess Middy." The girl smirked, "I was just looking for you!" She looked around, confused. "But I don't know how I got from the kitchen to the west wing so quickly…Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter, I found you now!" 

"Yes you did." Midna had learned long ago not to ask about Linkle's strange traveling paths. "Why were you looking for me?" 

"Oh right! I wanted to ask you what you're doing for Hallows Eve!" 

Midna had never heard of such a holiday. "What's that?" 

Linkle looked aghast, grabbing her arm and dragging her down the corridor. "We are fixing this." 

"You still haven't told me what we're fixing." 

"You! Not knowing about Hallows Eve! It's only, like, the _best_ holiday besides National Linkle's Birthday Day!" 

Smirking, Midna let herself be pulled through the castle. "Oh how could I forget." 

"I know right!" Linkle waved at a guard, opening a seemingly random door and walking through with purpose. "We all dress up in fancy costumes, and then there's a big party! Me and Link are gonna dress up as each other, and Link is working overtime to make sure no monsters interrupt us!" 

"So on this holiday, you pretend to be other people?" Midna's brow furrowed. They had no such ritual in the Twilight Realm, and she was beginning to think they were missing out. 

"Yeah! And you go around saying 'trick or treat' to strangers and they give you free candy!" 

"Free candy you say…" 

Linkle nodded enthusiastically. 

Midna hummed. "So, are there any rules to the costumes I should know about? So I can break them, of course." 

"Not really, you can go as whatever or whoever you want! Some people dress up as monsters, some as heroes, and some dress up as their best friends! The possibilities are endless!" 

"Mmhmm...Very well then, I might need to join in this Hallows Eve action. Excuse me." Midna disentangled her arm from Linkle's grip, vanishing into the shadows to prepare. 

…

"Are you coming to the party tonight, Fi?" Marin asked, fingering the pink strip of hair that she had dyed for this very strange occasion. "Everyone else will be there." 

"I do not know if I should partake. From what I understand, this holiday includes many games and traditions that are rather...unsuited...for someone who struggles with emotions as I do. I would not wish to spoil the merriment." Fi sighed, helping to tuck the rest of Marin's hair -dyed blonde- into a sky blue adventuring cap. 

Marin said she was dressing as the Hero of Legend, whom Fi had not met yet. She assumed she would eventually. She met all heroes eventually. 

"Hogwash, that's what that is. You wouldn't ruin anything! In fact, I'll guarantee that you'll make everything one-hundred percent better by going!" The island resident smiled and patted Fi on the cheek, a gesture that was not in her databases but she assumed was meant to be affectionate. "Now come on, we gotta think up a costume for you." 

"I am a spirit who can change my form at will. I do not need a costume." 

"Nonsense. Follow me, we're going shopping." 

…

The party was humongous, filled to the brim with costumed individuals laughing with friends. Fi smiled, trying to pick out her companions from the group.

The Captain ran across the room in a skirt and braided wig, running from his sister who kept tripping over her long blue scarf. Young Link stood off to the side wearing a gibdo costume with matching mask, handing out more masks to anyone without an outfit, provided they promised to bring it back. No one dared to break the promise, lest the small child and the Skull Kid (who needed no costume) helping him decide their life was forfeit. 

Toon Link ran through the crowd in a pig costume, while Tetra chased him in full pirate plumage. Zelda was nowhere to be seen, but Sheik spoke animatedly with Impa, who had begrudgingly accepted Young Link's bunny hood. 

Lana -in a moment of absentmindedness- dressed up as her other half, and was spending the party hiding from the palace guards behind Darunia, who had borrowed a yellow fox mask from Young Link. Ruto laughed at Lana's plight, donning the clothing of an ancient dragon deity who -according to legend, and Fi's recent memory- used to live underneath Lake Floria. 

Agitha wore something akin to a beetle, while Tingle bounced around with homemade fairy wings on his back. King Daphnes watched Toon Link and Tetra with a smile, dressed as a red lion. 

Marin and Ravio had dressed as the same person, and were laughing about it in the corner. Medli and Toon Zelda swapped clothing, both doing an adequate impersonation of each other to anyone who would listen. 

One by one, Fi spotted each of her friends in the merriment, enjoying themselves in their brief respite. She found each of her friends, except one. "Young Link," She asked the small mummy beside her, who was threatening a soldier into promising to return his mailman's cap later. "Have you seen Friend Midna anywhere? I cannot find her." 

"Sorry Fi," the boy shook his head, shrugging and leveling the soldier with a steady glare. "Haven't seen her this whole time. Have you asked the captain yet?" 

"No I have not." She admitted. "I will ask him." 

It did not take long to find him, as he rushed around the corner and hid behind her costume's cape. "Hide me!" He shrieked, just as Linkle -with frosting all over her cheek- barreled through the doors, screaming profanities. 

Only once she was safely out of sight, did Link emerge. "Thanks Fi. Nice costume, by the way, very classy." 

"Thank you, captain. I was wondering if you had seen Friend Midna anywhere? I am looking for her." She bowed slightly, ignoring the urge to float. 

"Midna? No, I haven't. She has a way of sneaking around unseen though, so she's probably here somewhere." Linkle screamed from the other room, and Link paled. "Gotta go." He yelled over his shoulder, sprinting down the hallway. "Good luck finding Midna!" 

Fi frowned, it appeared she would need it. She had been looking ever since she had arrived, and had yet to see head nor tail of-

"Well that's an award winning costume if I'd ever seen it." A snarky yet fond voice called from behind her, and Fi smiled. Of course she would appear now, after half an hour of searching. 

She turned, catching sight of her friend, and her eyes widened ever so slightly. "Are you...Me?" 

Indeed, she was. Midna grinned toothily, arms completely covered by a flowing blue cape that hung leaving her shoulders exposed. Her short purple dress covered blue leggings and green ballet shoes with matching ribbons. A shimmering blue gemstone sat suspended by a nearly invisible silver chain upon her forehead, and another, much larger one acted as the clasp for her cape. Long, red hair dyed blue was carefully pulled up into what looked like Fi's signature pixie cut, all excess hair tucked gently underneath the cape and out of sight. 

"Do ya' like it? Took me nearly three hours to get my hair done, so you better like it." She teased playfully. "Besides, I could say the same about you. That outfit is gorgeous, if I do say so myself." 

Fi looked down at herself, blushing slightly. She had to change her appearance drastically to get the look right (growing out her hair, mostly, but also mimicking the Twilight Princess' body type and twili markings), but it had all worked out in the end. 

Long, blue hair draped down to her chest, framing bare shoulders with no arms attached (one of the few things, along with color palate, she could not change). A delicately woven veil flowed from her intricate headpiece, barely covering said shoulders and dragging on the floor as she walked. A black skirt hung from her waist, the slit running up the side much higher than Fi would have liked it to be. 

"Thank you, Friend Midna, but I think it suits you much better." 

"Awww thanks buddy! You wanna go hang out with Zel-I mean Sheik? We haven't seen them in a while, and I'm pretty sure Linkle said the free candy is coming soon." 

"...I was not aware there was free treats." 

"Well you are now! Come on lets get some before they're all gone! How much do you thing these capes can hold?" 

Fi hummed, calculating the variables in her head. "I would assume both of our capes should be able to hold about 1, 328 pieces of sugar in them. More, if I use my skirt as well." 

"Wonderful. _"_ Midna grinned evilly, the darkness around her growing darker. _"Let's bleed these suckers dry._ " 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued on Day 23: Monsters


	22. Candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow finds a peace offering.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so late! I kinda rushed this one since I wasn't feeling much motivation, but the others are gonna be good!

It was nearly midnight in Link's world, the heroes were all asleep in the living room, and Shadow smelled sweets. It was a well-known fact that Red kept a secret stash of candy  _ somewhere  _ in the house, but Shadow had never gotten anywhere close to finding it. Until now. 

Because Shadow smelled sweets, and there was no one to stop him from taking them. 

Slowly and silently, he slipped from his place behind Link and crept across the room, careful not to awaken any of the hyper-vigilant heroes. His dark form flickered in the dying lamplight as he slid into the kitchen through the crack between the door and the wall. Not a sound announced his departure, just as he liked it. 

He couldn't have Red ruining this. Not when he was so close to answers. 

The smell of sugar tickled his nose, wafting from seemingly nowhere but everywhere at once. It was here, in this room, somewhere. He just had to find it. 

A floorboard creaked as Shadow took off his hat and climbed atop the counter, using the darkness to rifle through the cupboards. Four different jars filled with four different breakfast cereals were pushed to the side, revealing yet another loaf of bread (of which he'd already found six). Honestly, Link was the  _ pickiest  _ person he'd ever met, but he  _ still  _ managed to choose the  _ unhealthiest _ food from the market. 

...He would need to revisit that jar of cereal later. Blue wouldn't mind if a few handfuls of his "Swimmies" (flakes of chocolate drizzled in sugar, that turned the milk brown) went missing. 

A light turned on. Startled, Shadow fell off the counter, his wayward magic knocking the Swimmies across the floor. Darn. He was gonna eat those. 

The captain stood in the doorway, lantern in hand and looking stony. Shadow froze on instinct, despite knowing that Warriors couldn't see him. Old habits die hard. 

"I know you're here, Dark." The captain growled, reaching between the folds of his scarf to reveal that strange, spiked lens. "I want to talk with you." 

Gulping, Shadow waved up at the enraged captain who now held the glass up to his eye. "That's cool, can you hear me?" 

His eyes narrowed, but he otherwise didn't react. "Guess not." Shadow sighed, twirling his finger to sweep up the cereal with a small tornado of black. Blue wouldn't mind if there was a little dust in his food, right? 

After a few moments, he realized that Warriors was still staring at him. "What?" He asked, arms out. 

The captain must have taken that as the signal to start talking, because talk he did. "I don't know what you're getting at, or what your motives are, but I'd recommend you stop playing with Four's emotions." His fist tightened around the handle, "Things might get ugly if you don't." 

He was probably supposed to feel scared right then, but Shadow could barely hide his smile. Really, he shouldn't be enjoying this as much as he was, but he couldn’t help it! This guy was threatening a  _ ghost _ !

Warriors scowled, "finding this funny?" 

His composure broke, and Shadow held his hand up, thumb and pointer finger almost touching as he giggled. "Just a bit." 

If it was possible, the captain's frown fell even deeper. If he wasn't careful it was gonna get stuck like that. Shadow hoped it would, if only for the entertainment. 

Warriors took a step forwards, only to step on Shadow's small pile of Swimmies and crash awkwardly to the floor. His scarf wrapped around the handle of one of the cutlery drawers, pulling it from it's compartment to fall atop the captain's back and knock the wind from his lungs. Silverware scattered everywhere. 

For a moment, all was still, as Shadow tried to process what had just happened and Warriors caught his breath facedown on the floor. Then, a small snort found its way from Shadow's mouth, quickly deteriorating into peals of heavy guffaws. 

"Man, that was  _ awesome!"  _ He giggled between breaths, "you gotta do that more often!" 

The captain didn't hear him, grunting as he pushed the drawer from his back and rolled over. 

Shadow was about to give another snarky remark that would go unheard, but was halted by a sudden influx of scent that assaulted his sensitive nose.  _ Sugar.  _

Nose twitching, he stepped over the fallen warrior and peered into the hole that the drawer had previously occupied. There was something fishy about the back wall. 

"What are you doing?" Warriors growled, lens once again held up to his eye (it had been cushioned from the fall by the scarf, thankfully). 

"Getting candy, duh." Shadow answered, then upon receiving no reply, rolled his eyes and pointed to the false wall. 

This didn't seem to appease the captain for some reason. Shadow thought he was being perfectly clear. 

Using his intangibility to his advantage, he merged his top half into the cupboard, bending over at the waist. As his head passed through the back of the wall, a wave of pure ecstasy hit him like Blue's hammer on a bad day. 

Red's boasting clearly had not been unfounded. 

Mounds upon mounds of colorfully wrapped sweets pressed in on him from all sides, even phasing through him at points. The whole inside of the kitchen wall was just  _ candy _ , and Shadow was convinced that Red used some of it to bribe the Minish into helping him keep the rats away. 

Never before had he experienced such beauty, such magnificence, than what he was seeing at that moment. 

Now if only he could eat it. 

That was a small problem. Kinda took the fun out of finding all this, to be honest. There  _ had  _ to be another way Shadow could use all these sweets. There  _ had  _ to. 

He felt something swish through his bottom half, like a foot, or a sword. He smirked, that would do. 

Now, was Warriors a chocolate kind of person, or did he prefer gummies? Better question, what kind of sweet made a good peace offering? 

Surely there would be something... _ aha. _

_ Perfect.  _

The next morning, when Shadow returned to his post, the other heroes found Warriors on the floor of the kitchen, pushing a drawer back into place with a mouth full of truffles.


	23. Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fi was Fi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind that I am a questioning individual, so I do not yet identify with any of these as of yet, but I'm doing my research to figure stuff out. If I got something wrong, please tell me so I can change it, I want to be as accurate as possible.

Fi was Fi. She wasn't a girl (despite her chosen pronouns), she wasn't a robot, she wasn't a Goron or a Zora or any sort of other traditional race found in Hyrule. She wasn't Lorulean, Terminian, or Twili either. Fi was just Fi. 

No one knew just _what_ Fi was, least of all Fi herself, and she'd made peace with that centuries ago. Fi was Fi, and she'd continue to be Fi until she decided not to, but that time was still a long way off. 

In Fi's eyes: Link was Link, Zelda was Zelda, Tingle was Tingle, and Midna was Midna. Things such as assigned labels did not compute. 

In fact, the first time she was introduced to the governing forces of this time, her inquiry of what a gender was sent the whole room (save Zelda, Impa, and Link) into a frenzy. 

Of course, some people decided to choose labels for themselves. Zelda was a "princess" who also sometimes swapped between a "girl" and a "boy" depending on the day. Tetra was a "Pirate" who was neither "boy" nor "girl." Link was a "captain" who Fi was told used to be a "girl" but wasn't anymore. All of that was perfectly okay with her. If they wanted to name parts of themselves, that was fine. Deep down, Zelda would still be Zelda, Tetra would still be Tetra, and Link would still be Link. 

These labels were fine, but Fi did not find herself attracted to any of them. Fi was Fi, and that was it. 

What she did _not_ understand, was why people thought they could _force_ labels upon others. She'd lost track of the times she'd had to correct people who called her "girl" or "woman" or sometimes even "baby" (which was completely ridiculous, since she did not even vaguely resemble a human child). She'd even begun to expect it, stating her correction even before the dreaded words were even out of her opponent's mouths. 

These remarks rarely bothered her - they were mere annoyances, really- but having them repeated day after day got tiring, to say the least. Her friends quickly learned what she was not, and did their best to avoid those labels she so despised. Fi would be forever grateful for them. 

Her _enemies_ , even, had the decency and the honor to avoid them. Volga shouted insults across the field, but never once gendered her name, not even in the heavily-gendered language of the dragons. Once, Ghirahim even paused in the middle of their heated battle to lividly skewer an old drunkard who had stumbled upon their battlefield and slurred inappropriate comments at her from the sidelines. She had, of course, kicked his ass literally into last century after that, but she couldn't pretend that she wasn't touched by the notion. 

Of course, even though her friends were trying, they all made mistakes on occasion. Fi was always willing to forgive them for these, but it was slightly disheartening to hear. 

Even Midna, who was undoubtedly her closest friend, had her slip ups. The princess had pulled her aside after Fi corrected her the first time, seeking clarification that she had gladly given. Now, the Twilight Princess had labeled herself Fi's personal bodyguard, snarling at anyone who dared to get it wrong, or, goddess forbid, purposefully tease her for it. It was unneeded, but welcome. 

Unfortunately, Midna's intervention grew more and more necessary as the war continued, and she began to make more frequent trips into town. Old people and young people alike simply could not accept that Fi was just Fi. They asked probing, personal questions about her anatomy that she did _not_ feel like answering at any given time. Frankly, she didn't think anyone would feel like answering those types of questions, so why they even asked remained a mystery. 

Then came the speculation. If she wasn't a girl, then she couldn't be Hylian (which would be correct, in that she was not Hylian). If she wasn't Hylian, then what was she? 

Thankfully, Fi had Midna for when the rumors got to be too much. They didn't hurt, but they were tiring. Very, very tiring. Especially since when they exhausted their list of races, they all collectively decided that Fi was a new type of monster. 

That stung a bit. 

Their accusations were unfounded, of course. Why would a monster fight its kin? What kind of monster served the goddess? These facts were all ignored as the townspeople blindly followed their bias. Because _clearly_ everything different than them was inherently evil. 

They even tried siccing the guards on her, once. Good thing Link was on duty that day. 

Most of the people learned quickly to stop whispering when Fi and Midna came to town, which made it easier for Fi to ignore the rumors. They knew nothing of her, and so had no grounds to cast judgement.

Still, deep down, she hoped that one day she'd be able to show them the truth. The truth that Fi was not a monster. She wasn't a girl, she wasn't a robot, she wasn't a Goron or a Zora or any sort of other race found in Hyrule. She wasn't Lorulean, Terminian, Fairy, Kokiri, Picori, or Twili either. 

Fi was Fi, and that was all.


	24. Triforce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time hates the Triforce. 
> 
> This was a shorter one, but I kinda like it. This introspective style is cool.

Link, the Hero of Time, absolutely hated the Triforce. It was too big, too powerful, and  _ much  _ too easy for evil to use. You'd think that the goddesses would enforce more security measures that just three rocks, a song, and a sword, but apparently not. 

The first time he'd learned about it, Ganondorf had tricked him into opening the door and used it to take over the world. Anyone could understand his reasoning. 

No matter what form he was in: child, teenager, deku scrub, zora, goron, or god, that hatred never stopped, nor diminished with time. 

Even now, married, with eight other heroes with the same name, Link -now Time- still carried that same burning dislike for the artifact. He theorized that some of the others felt the same, but couldn't be sure. Legend was obvious, he wasn't afraid to loudmouth both the triforce and the goddesses. Sky's feelings towards the matter were controversial to Time's, yet still as obvious as Legend's. 

The others were less clear. Twilight didn't seem to have much of an opinion on the matter, as did Warriors and Four. Wind often regaled them with tales of his quest, collecting the pieces of the Triforce of Courage scattered across the sea. Wild clammed up whenever it was mentioned, Flora's distain rubbing off on him. 

Hyrule, however, was weird. He shared the same tight-lipped attitude that Wild did, but with an added air of fear that made no sense. He went out of his way to avoid speaking of it, which was understandable in Time's eyes, but genuinely seemed to get  _ worried  _ whenever it was brought up in his presence. 

It was clear after the fifth example of this, that the traveler was not about to explain. While it irked him slightly, the childish curiosity in him going crazy over the lack of answers, Time could understand it. Hyrule didn't want to talk about it, so he wouldn't ask. 

If it affected the team, the secret would come out eventually. He just had to be patient. 

In the meantime, Time would continue to hate the Triforce in secret and in silence. His personal feelings could  _ not _ get between his relationships with any of his boys. He refused to let that happen. If it did? Well, that would just be one more thing that the Triforce had destroyed. 


End file.
